What's the best way to remove vulkem caulking , on a newer airstream, I'm going to do some maintenance and want to remove some of the old vulkem caulking that was put on sloppy at the factory , also how do you seal buck rivets from the outside so that it looks good and what product do you use?

Dig out as much Vulkem as you can with a plastic tool, then use brake cleaner to cut the residual. Brake cleaner won't harm paint. Use Captain Tolley's Creaping Crack Cure to seal rivets. Order up an oral irrigation syringe to apply Tolley's...it is much more precise that way...out of the bottle is a mess.

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-Rich-

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green

I have good luck using Citrastrip and covering it with plastic, leave overnight.

Sealing buck rivets, I love Captain Tolleys creeping crack cure. Almost invisible and you can tell which rivets are leaking because it "sucks in". Keep applying at intervals til it doesn't! The stuff is tough too, I had some drip, didn't notice before it dried....and it took serious compounding to polish it off.

I have good luck using Citrastrip and covering it with plastic, leave overnight.

Sealing buck rivets, I love Captain Tolleys creeping crack cure. Almost invisible and you can tell which rivets are leaking because it "sucks in". Keep applying at intervals til it doesn't! The stuff is tough too, I had some drip, didn't notice before it dried....and it took serious compounding to polish it off.

Although I haven't had to try it, the bottle says mineral spirits will remove dried Tolley's.

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-Rich-

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green

I use a heat gun on a lower setting to soften the Vulkem, then a wooden or plastic scraper. I use sharpened popsicle sticks, tongue depressors or orange sticks (used for manicures). Mineral spirits will also help soften it and get the final residue off.

Aaron

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....so many Airstreams....so little time...
WBCCI #XXXX AIR #2495
Why are we in this basket...and where are we going

All good tips, but a 2012 Airstream does not have Vulkem as a sealant, it has SikaFlex 221. From the Sika web site:

13) How do I remove / clean excess Sika products (cured or uncured)?

Product that has already cured must be removed mechanically with a razor blade, grinding wheel, etc. Several products such as Sika® Remover-208, Sika® Hand Cleaner towels, or mineral spirits remove uncured material the best. Alcohols should never be used around the bond area of cured or uncured material as they may inhibit or reverse the cure of Sikaflex® products.

Through research and after having used it the last few weeks, contractor grade "De-Solve-It" is my new best friend. Even removes cured silicone caulk although it still takes a bit of elbow grease with that one. ;-)

Is SikaFlex any different from Trempro (Vulkem) or other Polyurethanes? Airstream probably uses it because SilkaFlex had the lowest bid? The same solvents will remove them if they are the same basic formula. I have had to use paint remover to get really old caulk off my trailer vents on the roof. Usually a razor blade and being careful gets the job done. I use Gumout carb cleaner to clean up residues.

Is SikaFlex any different from Trempro (Vulkem) or other Polyurethanes? Airstream probably uses it because SilkaFlex had the lowest bid? The same solvents will remove them if they are the same basic formula. I have had to use paint remover to get really old caulk off my trailer vents on the roof. Usually a razor blade and being careful gets the job done. I use Gumout carb cleaner to clean up residues.

Perry

Slightly different formulation. I found the Sikaflex doesn't respond as well to heat removal as the Vulkem. We have used both at work over the years along with NP-1 from Sonneborn. One of the best tools I have come across so far for removing a variety of sealants are the Fein Supercut tools, they are expensive. Makita along with several others makes a similar tool at a lower price. Our Fein's are probably 10-12 years old and still going strong even after being used nearly daily. I suspect a Makita or Rockwell version that sells for about 1/4-1/8 the price of the Fein would work for a hobbyist/light duty use.

Aaron

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__________________
....so many Airstreams....so little time...
WBCCI #XXXX AIR #2495
Why are we in this basket...and where are we going